When you’re on the hunt for a tough outdoor smartwatch, you might find yourself weighing the options between the new Amazfit T-Rex 3 and Garmin Forerunner 165.

These watches fall into the budget-friendly sports watch group, with prices that are pretty close. They both boast military-grade toughness and a sturdy design that can take a beating, so you can count on them to handle your adventures.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 takes what worked in earlier models and makes it better. It has a sleek look and doesn’t drain your battery making it perfect for people who love the outdoors. While it gives you a lot for your money, its unique software, though it works well, might have some drawbacks.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 is easy to wear and light as a feather. This GPS smartwatch has a bright touchscreen you can see, lots of buttons to push, a battery that lasts a while, health sensors that get it right, and some fancy training and recovery tools you’d find in pricier Garmin watches.

Let’s take a closer look at both to help you pick the right choice for what you need.

Price and Availability

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 and the Garmin Forerunner 165 have prices that match up well in the budget-friendly sports watch market.

You can buy the Amazfit T-Rex 3 for $299. Amazfit sells it on their main website and through other approved stores. In Europe, it costs €299. You have two color choices: Onyx or Lava.

Garmin gives you two choices for the Forerunner 165. The basic model costs $249.99. If you want to store and play music, you’ll need to pay $299.99 for the Music version. Garmin offers four color mixes to suit different tastes:

• Mist Grey/Whitestone
• Turquoise/Aqua
• Berry/Lilac
• Black/Slate Grey

You can find both watches in stores so you won’t have to wait to get the one you want. The prices are about the same for the Amazfit T-Rex 3 and the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music. This means you’ll choose based on what the watch can do and which brand you like, not how much it costs.

Amazfit T-Rex 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 165: Specs Comparison

Design and Display

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 and Garmin Forerunner 165 both offer robust designs tailored for active users, but with distinct approaches.

The T-Rex 3 boasts a rugged, military-grade construction with a 48.5mm case, featuring a stainless-steel bezel and a predominantly plastic build. It sports a larger 1.5-inch AMOLED display with a higher 480×480 resolution and impressive 2,000 nits peak brightness.

In contrast, the Forerunner 165 adopts a more traditional sports watch design with a smaller 43mm case made of fiber-reinforced polymer. Its 1.2-inch AMOLED display, while smaller, still offers vibrant visuals.

The T-Rex 3 edges out in durability with 10 ATM water resistance compared to the Forerunner 165’s 5 ATM rating. However, the Garmin watch compensates with a lighter weight of 39g (without strap) versus the T-Rex 3’s 68.3g, making it more comfortable for extended wear.

Both watches feature physical buttons for easy navigation, with the T-Rex 3 offering four and the Forerunner 165 providing five in Garmin’s signature configuration.

Software and Compatibility

When it comes to software, the two watches diverge significantly. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 runs on Zepp OS 4, a proprietary system compatible with both Android and iOS devices. It offers a straightforward interface with regular updates and a growing app ecosystem.

The Zepp companion app provides comprehensive health and fitness tracking, including unique features like PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) and Readiness scores.

On the other hand, the Garmin Forerunner 165 utilizes Garmin’s well-established software platform, also compatible with Android and iOS. It benefits from the robust Garmin Connect app, known for its depth of features and customization options.

While both systems offer extensive health and fitness tracking capabilities, Garmin’s ecosystem is more mature and widely recognized in the sports community.

The T-Rex 3 attempts to differentiate itself with AI-powered features and privacy options like GPS discretion, while Garmin focuses on tried-and-true training tools and analytics.

GPS and Navigation

Both watches excel in GPS capabilities, but with different strengths. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 features dual-band GPS and supports six satellite positioning systems, offering quick lock-on times (3-8 seconds) and accurate tracking even in challenging urban environments. It also provides offline maps and custom route uploads for navigation.

The Garmin Forerunner 165, while not featuring multi-band GPS, still offers reliable accuracy with support for GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo systems. It includes Garmin’s course creation feature and provides basic navigation capabilities.

While the T-Rex 3 might have a slight edge in raw GPS performance, Garmin’s expertise in navigation and mapping gives the Forerunner 165 an advantage in overall usability for runners and outdoor enthusiasts.

Health and Fitness Tracking

Both watches offer comprehensive health and fitness tracking features, but with different focuses.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 supports over 170 sports modes and provides detailed metrics for activities like running, including power, cadence, and stride analysis. It offers advanced sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and blood oxygen measurement.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 matches many of these features, including sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and VO2 max estimation. It stands out with Garmin-specific features like Morning Report, which provides recovery information and workout suggestions.

Both watches offer heart rate variability (HRV) tracking and detailed running metrics. However, the Forerunner 165 lacks some advanced features found in higher-end Garmin models, such as Training Readiness scores and Hill/Endurance scores.

The T-Rex 3’s Zepp Coach, powered by AI, offers personalized insights, while Garmin’s established Coach feature provides structured training plans.

Smart Features

In terms of smart features, both watches offer a range of capabilities, but with different emphases.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 provides notification support, weather updates, and limited app functionality through its proprietary system. It lacks music streaming capabilities but allows for MP3 file storage and playback.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 offers similar basic smartwatch features, with the added option of a Music version that supports offline playlist storage and streaming from select services.

Both watches support contactless payments, with the T-Rex 3 using Zepp Pay and the Forerunner 165 utilizing Garmin Pay.

While neither watch can compete with full-fledged smartwatches in terms of app ecosystems, they both provide essential connected features for active users.

Battery Life

Battery performance is a strong suit for both watches, but the Amazfit T-Rex 3 takes the lead in this department.

With its large 700 mAh battery, the T-Rex 3 boasts an impressive battery life of up to 27 days under typical use and around 13 days with heavy usage. In real-world testing, it consistently achieved 8+ days of use with all sensors active.

The Garmin Forerunner 165, while not matching these figures, still offers respectable battery life with up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and about 9 days with consistent GPS use.

Both watches feature relatively quick charging times, with the T-Rex 3 taking about 100 minutes for a full charge and reaching 35% in just 30 minutes.

The T-Rex 3’s longer battery life makes it more suitable for extended outdoor adventures, while the Forerunner 165’s battery performance is more than adequate for most users’ needs.

Amazfit T-Rex 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 165: Which Should You Buy?

So it really depends on what you’re looking for. Garmin is more trusted in terms of software and reliability.

On the other hand, T-Rex 3 is more feature-rich, in fact, it will match the features of Garmin’s expensive Fenix Series.

There are lots of differences between both models, such as the T-Rex 3’s larger and brighter display, more robust build quality, and significantly longer battery life.

The Garmin Forerunner 165, however, benefits from Garmin’s well-established ecosystem, more refined software, and a lighter, more comfortable design for everyday wear.

Price is another significant factor to consider. The T-Rex 3, despite its premium features, is competitively priced at $299, offering exceptional value for the hardware it provides.

The Garmin Forerunner 165, priced similarly, relies more on its brand reputation and software ecosystem to justify its cost.

So, choose the T-Rex 3 if:

• You need a more durable, adventure-ready watch
• Longer battery life is crucial for your activities
• You want a larger, brighter display
• You’re looking for the most features for your money

Choose the Garmin Forerunner 165 if:

• You prioritize a well-established, runner-focused ecosystem
• You prefer a lighter, more comfortable watch for daily wear
• Garmin’s reputation for accuracy and reliability is important to you
• You want access to Garmin’s training plans and advanced running metrics

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